“I enjoy sleep like a good steak.”

Bill Cosby said this, and I couldn’t agree more.

With two young kids in tow, I’ll take my sleep whenever I can get it, but I’ve always been a big fan of naps. I even have several EPIC naps I’ve taken and remember well. Like the time one spring on the Capitol lawn after a farmer’s market. Or in the hammock in Key West while celebrating my 10 year wedding anniversary. Or the other day while watching football with Ben asleep on my chest.

Yum.

I don’t know anyone who dislikes sleep, and yet according to the National Sleep Foundation, 47 million Americans don’t get the minimum amount of sleep they say they need to be alert the next day.

I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out that it’s mostly because our days are just too packed. With all of the obligations and activities we’re involved in, sleep moves to the bottom of our priority list.

But the people who drive me crazy are the ones who complain (or is it brag?) about how little sleep they get in order to prove just how busy (and by extension, apparently how important) they are.

Meanwhile, others pride themselves in telling you how little sleep they actually need, as if they are some sort of superhuman Energizer bunny.

And some people are such go-getters, they boast, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” To which I always think, “Well it sounds like that day will be coming sooner than you might like.”

Because all the experts tend to agree that adults typically need 7-9 hours of sleep a day. Getting too little for too long can lead to numerous health problems, including obesity, high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems, and diabetes. Not too mention a decreased lack in productivity and an increased level of Adultitis.

Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the most powerful. I know that when I am low on sleep, I am way more irritable and susceptible to a nasty case of Adultitis. That’s why if you ask me what thing from childhood I most would like to have carried over to adulthood, my vote is likely to be the regular afternoon naps.

Adultitis Fighting Tip: Ready for this? Sleep more. Go to bed a half-hour early (which is easy to do if you quit watching the news!) Schedule in a juicy, hour-long nap this weekend. Even spending 15-20 minutes with closed eyes and a clear head in the middle of a work day can do wonders! If you don’t have time for sleep, here’s a life balance clue: You’re trying to do too much. Period. Remember this harrowing fact: you’re going to die with stuff on your to-do list. And keep in mind that sometimes we have to say no to the good in order to say yes to the best. Good health is so valuable, and yet so easy to take for granted. If you’re not getting at least seven hours of sleep a night, you’re setting yourself up for big problems down the road and making it infinitely easier for Adultitis to make its way in to your day-to-day. Thwart its plans with a delicious, mouth-watering nap!

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[ Naps Rule. 10.5 x 12 inches. Acrylic and Sharpie marker on newsprint. ]